Fabrication and characterization of Carbon Dot-induced Fe MOF for the detection and destruction of cancer cell

Developing an effective drug delivery system that targets cancer cells while minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy continues to be a significant challenge in the field of cancer therapy. This work introduces a bio-degradable metal organic framework (MOF) scaffold system that is enhanced with carbon dots (CDs) to facilitate the precise delivery of drugs and tracing of their pathways within cancer cells. We synthesized and reduced an iron based MOF (rMOF) to enable Fenton reactions in cancer cells. The carbon dots derived from folic acid were crosslinked with the rMOF using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC-NHS) crosslinking chemistry to provide bio-sensing capabilities and subsequent incorporation of the anticancer drug 5 fluorouracil (5 FU) into this system for targeted anticancer activity. The rMOF-CD linkage is disrupted in acidic environments because of amine group protonation, which results in disintegration of the MOF structure and release of Fe²⁺ ions. These ions are capable of destroying cancer cells by engaging in Fenton reactions with the presence of H₂O₂ in the cells. Simultaneously, the release of CDs initiates fluorescence, which has been previously suppressed by the molecular structure. 5 FU exhibits substantial anticancer activity, as evidenced by its favourable release profile under acidic conditions (60.42 %). Cellular uptake and viability assessments of HeLa (cervical cancer) and MCF-7 (breast cancer) cell lines, as well as non-cancerous L929 cells, have produced promising results, particularly for folate rich HeLa cells. This study illustrates a novel method of bio-sensing by fluorescent CDs and targeted drug delivery, which is combined with MOF mediated destruction of cancer cells and Fenton reactions.